Winterizing my ground-planted Celeste Fig

Question

I am not sure about the bucket on top of the whole bundle.

We wrap the tree with several layers of burlap, leaving the top open. Next we put a 3’x3’x7′ wire/woodframe cage over the wrapped tree. Stuff in leaves and straw. Last year the leaves compressed a lot, and the tree wasn’t particularly happy in spring. Do we really pack down the leaves and straw, or just lightly? I want to try 1/4″ thick bubble wrap for the cage. I don’t understand about how to handle the top. The cage is about 1 foot or so higher than the pruned tree. Do I put the bucket on the burlap-wrapped bundle inside the cage and leave the top of the cage without bubble wrap? Last year we put a piece of clear plastic on top of the cage,leaving about an inch of air space at the top of the cage. Is that a good way to go? Thanks so much for your wonderful website! (We are in southern Maine, and it is hard to know what zone we are in these days with the warming Gulf.) Bethe

Answer 1

There are many ways to wrap a tree for the winter. Some methods are better than others, but sometimes you are limited by how cold it gets in your area. You are pretty far outside their normal growing range, so it should be expected for the tree to sustain some minor damage. This article will give you more information on wrapping figs for the winter: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/figs/fig-tree-winter-wrapping.htm